The 305 Half Marathon happens to be my favorite South Florida race. It also happens to be the hardest South Florida races due to the four bridges you run on the course. This race is the final race of my winter half marathon trifecta: Miami Half Marathon (January 27), Princess Half Marathon (February 24), and 305 Half Marathon (March 3). For as hard as it might sound, especially running those two halves a week apart, it’s actually a lot of fun and a great reminder of the strength and resiliency I have as a runner.

Going into this race, I didn’t know what to expect. I was so disappointed from my experiences at the Chicago Marathon and the Miami Half Marathon and so high from my experience at Disney’s Princess Half Marathon that I had no clue how to feel about the race; all I knew is that I would know how to feel come race morning. I also knew that in order for me to have a PR-making experience three things would have to work together: weather, mind, and body.

What came together on race day was muggy weather (80s and humid) and a mind that was starting to fill with doubt because my body (specifically my stomach) was feeling way off. I went from “let’s do this” to “let’s get through this.” Thankfully, I spoke to my coach, Jessica of Sugar Runs Coaching, the day before. Having been with me and gone through the emotions of my running roller coaster, Jessica was able to articulate what I had been having trouble admitting to myself:

Racing scared me and the pressure to perform was weighing me down. I’ve been running for 6.5 years and I still get nervous and fall victim to a “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality when it comes to racing and performing.

Jessica encouraged me to see the race not as a “race” but as a “workout.” She reminded me that this “workout” was just another in a series of workouts that helped make me a stronger runner. She reminded me that, while a training cycle works toward a race, a race-day performance can never fully quantify nor qualify the success of a training cycle.

So, waking up race day with less-than-ideal weather and feeling less than my strongest self didn’t lead to frustration. There was no disappointment; this was another workout of giving my best with the conditions I faced. It was tough and my brain was on overdrive trying to read my body: Can I keep going? Do I need to walk? But if I walk, it will take longer to finish. Do I need to throw up? Can I wait until I finish to use the bathroom? Nothing turns a person into a crazy overthinker like a runner with a crummy-feeling stomach.

In the end, I finished in 1:55:23. I did what I could with what I had. I ran with my heart and finished stronger and more convinced of myself than I started partly because of the 1:55 iRun pacers who pushed me to finish stronger and kick up my feet in the last quarter mile of the race and partly because finishing a race, no matter how many I have done, is always like finishing for the first time and being in complete awe of what can be accomplished when I believe in myself.

Running is hard and it will always be hard. I never doubt that I will finish a race, but I do question what skill set I’ll use to get from start line to finish line. In the days since the race, I’ve been told by multiple people to celebrate the shortcomings.

Falling short means I’m trying. Feeling disappointed means I care. Coming back to running after I fall short, get disappointed, and have my heart broken means I have no clue how to give up on myself and won’t stop working on bettering myself.

Running, with its challenges, highs, and lows is humbling and empowering. Even though I don’t want to run most of the time (waking up early is soooo hard), I am always curious as to the person I’ll discover out there, putting in the work one foot step at a time.

What I liked about the race:

Quick and easy packet pick-up.

Start and finish lines on Ocean Drive.

Beer at the finish line.

This is my first year getting a Category medal for having run three races in the series (Turkey Trot, Miami Half Marathon, and 305 Half Marathon).

Beautiful course along the water.

What I didn’t like about the race:

The official finishers medals never made it to the finish line because of a shipping error.

getting to the start line

finisher's chute

almost ready to run

medals and bib

beautifully badass

Will I do this race again? Absolutely and I can’t wait to see what growth happens from now until 2020. Next up, however, is Seawheeze Half Marathon in August. I’m looking for a fall half marathon (no fall full marathon this year) so send your suggestions my way!

2019 marked my fifth time running Disney’s Princess Half Marathon, fourth time running it for charity, and third time running it for Girls On The Run Central Florida. I absolutely love Disney races because they are such a production with fireworks, characters, and costumes. What I particularly love about the Princess Half Marathon is that the course takes you down Main Street and through Cinderella’s castle in Magic Kingdom. The one thing I don’t like, which is what most people don’t like, is the early start time of 5:30am.

My goal with the race this year was to enjoy the miles. I even bought a shirt that said, “Forget the miles remember the magic.” After the bummer that was the Miami Half Marathon, I wanted to reconnect with my love of running 13.1. For me, Princess was perfect for this because I always go into this run prepared to make lots of stops for character photos (meaning: no time pressure).

Most things were smooth leading up to the race, from getting into the Orlando-area an hour earlier than planned to getting to the Epcot start-line with enough time to use the bathroom and comfortably walk over to my corral. Being in corral B meant I was running by 5:40am and was able to get most of my miles done while it was still dark out. It was, however, humid and incredibly muggy, so I was drenched a mile into the race. My plan was to run comfortably to and between character stops.

The first character stop was somewhere between 1 and 2 miles (Jack Sparrow) and was followed by character stops before 3 miles (the princes), around 3.5 miles (Evil Queen), throughout Magic Kingdom (Buzz, Belle and Gaston, Snow White, Jessie, Goofy, and the Villains), around 7.5 miles (Tinker Belle), between miles 9 and 10 (Jack, again), and throughout Epcot (Pluto and Mr. and Mrs. Incredible). I’m sure I missed some characters and this is all in addition to any stops made to take pictures of the parks that us runners had VIP access to before the parks opened to the public. Disney also creates opportunities for pictures with various princesses before and after the race.

In general, I felt amazing during this run. I fueled up at miles 5 and 9.5 with my trusty GU salted caramel. Because of the side stitches I got during the Chicago Marathon and the Miami Half Marathon, I was weary of a repeat and was a bit on edge. I kept checking in with myself: Am I drinking enough? Was that enough fuel? Am I breathing ok? I also kept thinking, “I feel amazing, but this won’t last” and “I still feel good. I can’t believe how good I feel.” Side stitches stayed wherever it is side stitches live and left me alone for all 13.1-magical miles throughout Disney.

I feel like I smiled from start-to-finish. I found a rhythm in the run that felt good and almost effortless. The miles went by and, when I finished, I felt a strength that healed the bruising that was Chicago and Miami.

Princess Half Marathon was not a personal record, but it was definitely a personal best. I ran strong, felt strong, and didn’t get into the head space of “X-miles down, how the hell am I going to do X more?” When I finished, all I wanted to do was sign up for the 2020 race and do it all over again. This race felt good in a way that makes the time on the clock feel completely irrelevant.

In the days since the race I’ve come to realize that running for the pure joy of running is exactly what I needed to overcome the self-imposed pressure of running X-time and disappointment in failing to do so. I am fit and I am strong. I know I’ve gotten stronger, both mentally and physically, as a runner. Just like I need the easy runs to balance out the speed-building runs, I need fun runs to balance out the focused, goal-driven runs. It’s forever a learning process that requires compassion and flexibility.

Lines for character pictures moved fairly quickly; I don’t think I was in line for more than 5 minutes.

FREE race pictures!

Post-race snack box. I honestly look forward to the box each year to see what snacks made the list.

Champagne with Minnie chocolate and “glitter” beer.

What I didn’t like about the race:

Early race start.

Expo was just OK this year. It felt smaller and not much grabbed my attention.

I understand why it’s set up the way it is, but the walk to the corral is a bit of a trek.

Even though Disney races are pricey, I always recommend them to people, especially people looking for their first half marathon experience, because there is enough entertainment before, during, and after the race to help the miles pass by semi-quickly. This is a race I will definitely be going back to in 2020.

Next up for me is the 305 Half Marathon on Sunday, March 3rd. After this race, no more (planned) half marathons until August (Seawheeze).

2019 marked my seventh year running my hometown race, the Miami Half Marathon. When I first ran the race in 2013, I was a new runner and completely new to the half marathon distance. The race was tough and awful at times, but it solidified my love for the sport of running and my love for the 13.1 distance. I come back to the Miami Half Marathon each year as my “runniversary” because this course takes me back to that 2013 day where I fully understood my strength and felt what it was like to own being a badass. In the years since that first half marathon, my love and appreciation for running has grown.

I’m grateful for the years of running and, believe me when I say this, I am grateful for the ability to run. Even though I am grateful, I am still human and I get disappointed when runs/races don’t go as hoped for or as planned. The disappointment is even heavier when I’ve had a solid training cycle and saw and felt all the changes.

Miami Half Marathon 2019, here it is: you broke my heart. The frustration was real. The disappointment was palpable. The anger was intense. I finished and I’m grateful that my training prepared me to finish the race regardless of the circumstances. But, it still hurt and sometimes I just want to sit in my hurt and feel OK about not feeling OK with how things went down. I care a lot about running, I care a lot about my training, and I put my whole heart into both and when it doesn’t come together, it stings. Tears were shed on the course and relief filled me when I finished.

Running is hard, even when it feels easy. When it doesn’t feel easy, it’s even harder and it hurts.

So, what happened? An annoying side stitch that made itself at home for almost 2 miles. I couldn’t run through the pain and my brain went overboard with all kinds of questions: Is this a repeat of the Chicago Marathon 2018? I never get side stitches in my training, why do I get them when I race? Did I drink enough water all week? Am I breathing wrong? Why is my body “failing” me? It’s been a while since I’ve had a good race, when is that going to happen again? Then, of course, the stream of thoughts: I am angry. I am upset. No, I’m just disappointed. It’s OK. There are other races. I’m still angry though. Bye A-goal. Bye B-goal. Just smile. Just finish. Just keep moving forward. There’s beer at the finish line. You got this. You look good. SMILE.

It’s amazing how many thoughts and experiences can fit in one racing experience and how you can feel like you experienced a lifetime of events in the space between start- and finish-lines.

I’ve spent the past week processing the race and working on being kinder to myself in situations like this. The heart break has subsided and I’m in that Let’s-Find-Everything-Positive-About-The-Race stage:

After days of race-day forecast being rain, rain, and more rain, it did not rain.

Expo was quick, easy, and well-organized.

I got to see lots of runner friends at expo, on the course, and after the race.

The course showcases Miami’s beauty perfectly.

Smooth start and organized finish.

Beer.

I got an amazing hug at the mile 12 lululemon cheer station.

I finished my seventh Miami race and 34th half marathon.

This race came in as my fastest Miami time with a 2:01:36 finish.

Maybe there was a 10K PR time.

I’m already signed up to run in 2020 (also, got some amazing goodr glasses).

Not all races will be the best races and that’s OK. Goals come and go and that’s part of what makes running an endless amount of fun. My work as a runner is to continue caring as much as I do while letting go of disappointment quicker. It’s running and it’s hard and there’s always another run on the horizon. Showing up and doing the best is what matters.

2018 was a huge year for me in terms of how I saw myself as a runner and how I defined my relationship to running. For five years, I was running almost on my own, making up my own training plans based on online/magazine plans and books, and running with the goals of getting a new PR (personal record) and/or finishing with a smile. After 2017’s heart-breaking Chicago Marathon experience I decided that I needed to let go: not only of creating my own training plans, but also of the need to chase PRs.

Sure, the PRs are great and very satisfying, but they are also focused on one day and not always reflective of all the growth and changes that happen during an entire training cycle.

Following Chicago, I handed over the reigns of my training to Jessica of Sugar Runs Coaching. I went with Jessica as a coach because (1) she is a woman, (2) shes a strong runner herself, (3) from what I had seen on her Instagram account, she knows how to balance training with life (hello, wine!), and (4) she was on-board with coaching me to strength versus coaching me to a time-goal. We worked together for all of 2018 and, most impressively, she helped me find the joy in training for a full marathon. I’ve always grumbled my way through marathon training, but this year, with Jessica’s guidance, it all clicked and the weeks and miles went by without a single complaint about how much marathon training sucks.

The 2018 Chicago Marathon happened and, although it wasn’t the race I trained for in terms of time, it was the race I trained for in terms of strength. I wrote about my experience with the race here, but the end result with Chicago is that I ran strong and finished stronger. I have never been prouder of myself and of the effort that went into training for and finishing the race.

2018 running goal: run in a way that left me feeling strong, regardless of pace and race times. I’d like to think this goal was met every time I toed a start line and crossed a finish line.

2019 running goal: The 2018 goal will carry over into 2019, although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t eyeing the half marathon and hoping to do big things at that distance. I’m picking 13.1 because (1) it’s my favorite distance, (2) training isn’t as intense as full marathon training, (3) it’s a long-enough distance to be a challenge, and (4) it’s also a short-enough distance that recovery is quick.

My favorite running memory from 2018: Convincing my dad and sister to run a 5K while I ran the 305 Half Marathon. The pictures of them running are hilarious and priceless.

Total Miles: somewhere around 1500.

2018 Race Roster:

Miami Half Marathon (January): 2:04:04

Princess 10K (February): 56:29

Princess Half Marathon (February): 2:18:15

305 Half Marathon (March): 1:53:35

Asheville Half Marathon (June): 2:07:24

Run 4 The Sea Virtual 5K (June): untimed

Chicago Full Marathon (October): 4:21:19

Halloween Half Marathon (October): 2:06:48

Turkey Trot 10K (November): 1:01:45

Islamorada Half Marathon (December): 2:01:35

MIA 5K (December): 25:32

Favorite race: 305 Half Marathon is a fun race with a beautiful course. Weather in Miami in March is great for running and nothing beats running along the water and incoming cruise ships.

Most challenging race: You’d think it would be the Chicago Marathon, but it was actually the Asheville Half Marathon. Running a course with hills and along the mountains was tough. I was also mentally beat before going into the race because delays in my husband’s travel plans brought me very close to not being able to run the race.

2019 Races:

Miami Half Marathon (January)

Princess Half Marathon (February)

305 Half Marathon (March)

I haven’t decided what races I’ll be doing beyond March, but I have a feeling they will be pretty amazing. I’d like to know where you are running and racing in 2019; maybe it will inspire me to run further and farther!

This is my second year running the MIA 5K (last year it was called the iRun 5000) and, just like last year, the race did not disappoint. The reasons I loved the race last year were still there this year, even with the course and sponsor changes.

I signed up for the race back in June partly because I had a great experience racing the distance (something I rarely do) at last year’s event and partly because I knew this would be the one event where I would be able to see and catch up with a lot of my runner friends.

Packet pick-up at the iRun store was quick and easy. Parking near the start line was easy to find (as of 6:00am) and there were clean, air-conditioned bathrooms, too. There were no race t-shirts this year, but the event organizers made up for it with the wooden medal and the metal beer cup.

The race started right at 7:00am and the course was one big loop in the Upper Buena Vista neighborhood. There was a water station near the mid-way point of the race and the course itself was wide enough to allow for passing. What I liked the most about the course, other than it being flat, was that because it was a loop, I got to see the lead pack of runners; talk about inspiring and motivating!

I had no intention of racing this race as Sundays are my rest day, so when the race started my goal was to do whatever felt good and kept me in good running form. Although it was humid, the legs felt great and the mind was focused on finishing. Part of what I don’t like about racing 5Ks is that I have to go hard from the get-go and, just when I’ve found my groove, the run is done. During the race, however, I embraced the distance and my focus on finishing actually helped me stay strong and consistent throughout the run.

I finished the 5K in 25:32 (8:14 avg) and that time includes stopping for hugs from my lululemon Brickell City Centre family at the 2.5-ish mile mark. I was really happy with this time because (1) I felt great, (2) I felt in control, and (3) I didn’t feel like death at the finish line.

iRun and lululemon spoiled the runners with the finishers area swag: Jaguar Therapeutics was giving massages, Veza Sur Brewing was handing out beers, and Cafe Creme fed the runners pastries and fruit. And, just like last year, I was able to catch up with a lot of my runner friends that I hadn’t seen in a long time (shout out to Dana and Jackie!).

The MIA 5K is a race I will be doing again next year. From the race’s organization to the course to the socializing, this is a race made for going after your personal best time and catching up with your favorite runners while drinking good beer.

Next up for me is my trifecta of half marathons: Miami (January), Princess (February), and 305 (March).